Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
On March 20, before dawn, Israeli attacks on Gaza intensified killing 71 Palestinians sleeping in residential buildings in Khan Younis, Rafah, and Beit Lahiya. Among the dead, were babies, children, women, and men who had been with their families in temporary shelters.
Injured people have arrived at hospitals, while many people are still trapped and missing under the rubble.
On March 18 and 19, Israeli occupation forces carried out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 500 deaths, and over 500 injured. The attacks targeted various areas across the coastal enclave, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed it was only the beginning.
According to reports, the heavy bombardment on March 18 alone claimed the lives of approximately 430 Palestinians, with over 500 others wounded. The Gaza government media office revealed that nearly two-thirds of the victims were women and children, a statistic that has led to accusations of intentional genocide by Israeli forces.
The second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel calls for a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for a full release of remaining hostages from Gaza. Netanyahu's far-right allies will never consider a withdrawal, and they have tied Netanyahu's political fate to their genocidal views. Over decades of holding office, Netanyahu had ridiculed the ultra-religious right; however, now his personal freedom and political future are held in their hands.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's far-right national security minister, has accused Israelis who protest against Netanyahu and the Gaza war of being against Israel.
"The 'protest' activists have long since ceased to be just against the government and the Prime Minister. They have become fully against the State of Israel," Ben-Gvir said on social media.
Ben-Gvir was commenting about a demonstration outside Netanyahu's residence in West Jerusalem on March 19, where one protester compared Netanyahu with Germany's wartime Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
On March 18, tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv for what turned out to be the largest protest against the Israeli government in more than six months. The demonstration was in response to Netanyahu's efforts to fire both the chief of the Shin Bet security service and the attorney general, who heads Israel's politically independent legal system,
Most Israelis want an end to the war, the return of hostages, and Netanyahu's resignation.
The Israeli government and its citizens are in opposite camps, which is pulling the country apart. Even before the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, there was widespread criticism of the government on a range of issues that were domestic and connected to fundamental democracy.
Netanyahu has called off the ceasefire and resumed the war on Gaza. He needs the war to continue to remain in power, by appeasing his right-wing extremist coalition allies. His end game is to see the Palestinian people surrender and beg to be moved out to save their lives. Plans are discussed in media reports concerning Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Egypt, and Jordan as possible refugee destinations. US President Donald Trump's plan to turn Gaza into a tourist destination sounded far-fetched, but in Tel Aviv, it has been cheered.
The Trump administration has given Netanyahu the green light in Gaza. The Biden administration supported Netanyahu fully in the deaths of over 40,000 people, mainly women and children. Trump is continuing Biden's policies on Gaza, although he is reversing almost all other Biden policies domestically.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. The director of the Gaza government media office announced that the region has officially entered the first stages of famine, with nearly two million people facing complete food insecurity. He warned that unless the Israeli aggression ceases, the coming days could see a total collapse of life in Gaza.
In a statement on the social media platform X, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an urgent warning to residents of specific areas in Gaza, including Beit Hanoun, Khirbet Khaza'a, and Abasan al-Kabira and al-Jadida, describing them as "dangerous combat zones". He urged civilians to evacuate immediately to designated shelters in western Gaza City and Khan Younis.
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